Valle de Aezkoa, Navarra. The Aezkoako Kultur Elkartea, a cultural association in the Navarrese valley of Aezkoa, that organizes Aezkoako Eguna (Aezkoa Day) every year, has an exciting challenge in hand; to research the emigration of people from the area during the last century. One of it supporters is Jose Etxegoien “Xamar” ('Euskara Jendea', 'Etxera bidean'...), who has shared this invitation to collaborate and provide information on the local Irati Irratia radio station.
The research underway has data that comes from oral histories and previous bibliographies. In 2014, under the impulse of Euskal Artzainak Ameriketan Association, much work was carried out in Navarre on emigration of Basque shepherds to California and the United States that includes about 300 Aezkoans. The current goal is to go deeper and even expand this research to other destinations such as Canada, Mexico and other countries in South America, for which such precise information is not available. They are also aware of the need to study female emigration more in depth. Local women often went to destinations that were closer to focus on domestic services.
Researchers have prepared a survey that they have first distributed at houses in the towns of the Valley. Any information about relatives who have emigrated is welcome, as well as photos and anything that can complement the research. They estimate that they will continue to collect data until the end of the summer, when they will begin to draw conclusions and be able to publish a book with results towards the end of the year. It will not be an inventory of names and dates, about a pedagogical book that invites us to think about what and how it happened, allowing to recover this important part of the local history, and even relationships between families both sides of the ocean.
But they want also to get information and feedback from the Aezkoans and their descendants in the Diaspora.
From wherever you are, if you can provide any information please communicate with the Aezkoako Kultur Elkartea by email aezkoaemigrazioa@gmail.com; or by calling Maite (+34 600 01 93 94) or Jose (+34 616 501 157).
Mila esker aitzinetik, thank you in advance.
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